Glaucoma in Dogs

Glaucoma is an eye problem, not only common in humans but in dogs as well. Under normal conditions, the eye contains fluid, called aqueous humor. The basic function of this fluid is to maintain pressure in the eye, known as intraocular eye pressure. It is because of the presence of this fluid that the eye exists in a defined shape. The body keeps adding and removing fluid from inside the eye, to maintain the intraocular pressure at an optimum level. When the intraocular pressure goes beyond this optimum limit, the condition is medically termed as glaucoma. It can cause adverse effects on vision, including its loss. Retina and optic nerves are highly sensitive to an increase in intraocular pressure. Glaucoma in dogs is very painful and needs immediate medical attention.

Symptoms of Glaucoma in Dogs
The following are some commonly observed symptoms of glaucoma in dogs.

• Pain in the dog's eye
• Dilation of the pupils of the eye
• Green or yellow discharge from the eye
• Cloudiness within the cornea
• Delayed reaction to the brightness of the light
• Discoloration of the eye
• Increase in the number and size of the blood vessels in sclera
• Bloodshot eyes in dogs
• One of the eyes appears to be larger than the other

Causes of Glaucoma in Dogs
The basic cause of glaucoma is the improper functioning of the eye's drainage system. It gets clogged and thus is no more able to remove the fluid that is still being produced in the eye. The result is an increase in intraocular pressure. There can be several reasons behind the clogging of the drainage system. The most common ones are inflammation of the eye, injury that thickens the eye fluid and misplacement of the eye lens that blocks the drainage pathway.

Types of Glaucoma
There are two types of glaucoma in dog, primary and secondary. The primary type occurs in dogs that have a genetic predisposition to the disease. The drainage pores of the dog's eye may either be too small or angled incorrectly. This eventually results in an accumulation of fluid in the eye.

Diagnosis
Glaucoma in dogs is a condition of immediate concern. There is every possibility that your veterinarian will refer your pet dog to a veterinary ophthalmologist. He will perform a complete blood work and physical examination of the dog. With the help of the information thus obtained and considering the medical history of the dog, he will determine the type of glaucoma present. The veterinary ophthalmologist will frequently monitor the intraocular pressure and evaluate the drainage pathway. The techniques used are tonometry and gonioscopy respectively. He may also conduct ultrasonography of your dog's eye. The data collected will help him to identify misplaced lenses, tumors and damage to the optic nerves.

Treatment for Glaucoma in Dogs
Both medical and surgical treatment for glaucoma in dogs are available. The former aims at decreasing the production of fluid within the eye, increasing the outward flow of fluid from the eye and treating inflammation in the eye. The veterinary ophthalmologist will prescribe eye drops, pills or injections to your dog.

Treating glaucoma in dogs surgically also aims at decreasing the fluid pressure within the eye. A laser cyclophotocoagulation is done to remove or destroy a part of the eye that produces the fluid. The eligible candidate for this surgery is a dog whose eye is still functional, i.e a dog who is not blind. In case the dog has lost vision from the affected eye, then the complete removal of the eye, called enucleation, is considered. It relieves the dog from extreme pain due to glaucoma.

Many pet lovers ask how to prevent glaucoma in dogs. If your pet dog has a genetic predisposition for the disease, you can do nothing to prevent it. Otherwise, the condition can be avoided by regularly getting your dog's eyes checked for intraocular pressure by a ophthalmology specialist.

Glaucoma in dogs is a progressive disease and eventually affects both the eyes. It is an emergency and needs to be treated immediately, as there is a potential risk of loss of vision. If you observe the above given symptoms for glaucoma in your canine friend, take him to a veterinarian to save his eyes.